1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pneumatic particulate dispensing system for use in connection with the pneumatically dispensing of particulate material, such as fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and insecticides. The pneumatic particulate dispensing system has particular utility in connection with providing a portable device for pneumatically dispensing particulate material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pneumatic particulate dispensing systems are desirable for distributing particulate material, such as corn, protein, food, fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and insecticides through a singe portable device which can be easily mounted to a frame hitchably attachable to a vehicle. In current particulate dispensers, dispensing of particulate material is performed using complex and expensive devices using blower units, hoppers, and discharge tubes. Such devices use complex valve assemblies to adjust the flow of particulate material from the hopper to the passing airflow from the blower unit. Furthermore, these known particulate dispensers are not easily assembled or transported, which adds to the time required by the user to assemble, transport, use, and disassemble the dispensing device. Particulate dispenser users would quickly recognize that a system for quickly and easily dispensing particulate material in remote locations is very beneficial to the industry.
Additionally, other knows methods of hunters dispensing or filling feeders with particulate material is by packing feed sacks or buckets of feed up a ladder and then dumpling the feed from the sacks or buckets into the feeder. This method is inherently dangerous to the hunter, as well as strenuous and time consuming.
The use of hopper fed air powered granule dispensers is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,102 to Andersen issued on Oct. 20, 1992 discloses an air powered granular material sowing apparatus having a blower connected to  a tapered injector which forces air past a grain filled hopper. The air forces the grain towards a discharge tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,883 to Jahanning issued on Apr. 22, 1986 discloses a pneumatic conveyor having a pneumatic blower attached to a container featuring a hopper that dispenses grain into the airflow path via a bucket wheel. The grain from the bucket wheel is then discharged through an upright conveyor tube or a horizontal conveyor line.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,508 to Haines issued on Sep. 9, 1980 discloses a forage harvesting towing vehicle having a blower attached to discharge tube, wherein the forage harvesting vehicle is attachable to a vehicle hitch assembly.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,608 to Sanders discloses a pneumatic grain conveyor having a blower which forces air past a plurality of hoppers that dispenses material stored in the hopper into the airflow path from the blower. The material is dispensed from the hoppers through a control gate assembly located above a venturi.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,732 to Hagan discloses an insulation blowing apparatus whereby the insulation is drawn from a hopper by a fan and then blow into a conduit having a valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,495 to De Buhr et al. discloses a blower and discharge spout assembly having a blower connected to a fitting which is connected to an elevated discharge spout.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,714 to Montag discloses a particulate material conveyor having a hopper attached to a power auger which conveys the particulate material to a fan which forces the particulate material through a conduit allowing a user to fill a receptacle.
Additionally, further examples of known pneumatic material dispensers are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,240 to Thompson; JP 08215589 to Soichi et al.; and JP 2002068473 to Shigeru. While each of these systems may provide devices for dispensing material, they do not teach the use of a portable device for pneumatically dispensing  particulate material fed by a hopper through a rotatable gate valve connected to a T-fitting which encloses a velocity tube.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a pneumatic particulate dispensing system having an air blower connected to a velocity tube via an adapter, which allows for the use of a variety of different air blowers, wherein the velocity tube creates a vacuum that removes the particulate material from an above mounted hopper through an adjustable rotary valve. Furthermore, the above-described devices make no provisions for a rotary valve that is connected to a T-fitting which encloses the velocity tube, wherein the rotary valve extends into the hopper, and whereby the entire system is supported by cradles mounted to a support frame adapted to inserted into a vehicle trailer hitch.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved pneumatic particulate dispensing system that can be used for a portable device for pneumatically dispensing particulate material. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the pneumatic particulate dispensing system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of pneumatically dispensing particulate material through the use of a portable device.